My father died in the line of duty. Since I was a kid, I, Jiang Xia, have lived as an orphan in the home of Ming Xunzhou, one of his old comrades. As I grew up, a crush blossomed into something deeper. For five years, I harbored feelings for this man who had taken me in. On the night of my eighteenth birthday, I pushed open the door to Ming Xunzhou’s room. I was officially an adult, and I was ready to confess my feelings to him, earnestly and bravely. But instead of a warm welcome, I found him fast asleep, clutching a piece of paper to his chest. [Marriage Application] Those two words hit me like a lightning bolt. I gritted my teeth and read the details. It was a marriage application for Ming Xunzhou and Fang Yingyue. "You're getting married? Why didn't I know anything about this?!" I demanded, my voice trembling. "I'm your guardian, Xia. I don't need to report everything to you," Ming Xunzhou replied, his voice flat and factual. In all the years I'd lived under his roof, he had never been this harsh with me. I knew then that it was time for me to leave. That night, I packed my bags and slipped out quietly. But fate had other plans. A group of thugs cornered me in a dark alley. It was terrifying. Just as things were about to get really bad, Ming Xunzhou appeared and saved me. He saw the blood on my head as I started to lose consciousness. Panicked, he scooped me up in his arms, desperate to get me to the hospital. My head was splitting, but I was terrified that if I didn't say it now, I never would. I clung to him, repeating "I love you" over and over again. And then, I kissed him. Fang Yingyue saw it all. In a fit of rage, she turned and stormed off, only to run straight into the returning thugs. They beat her to death. From that day on, Ming Xunzhou changed. He became silent, withdrawn. Just as I was drowning in guilt, believing I was the cause of this tragedy, he proposed to me. After we were married, he hung Fang Yingyue’s portrait above our bed. Every night, he made me lie beside him, naked, but he never once looked at me. During the day, he made me dress like her. Talk like her. Walk like her. Later, when plastic surgery became available, he forced me to go under the knife to look exactly like her. I died on the operating table during the final surgery to fix my nose. Before I slipped away, I heard his voice through the hospital door. "Once she's gone, cremate her quickly. Scatter the ashes anywhere. Just get rid of them." A chill spread through my dying body. He didn't marry me because he loved me. He married me because he hated me. He hated me for killing Fang Yingyue. He hated me for ruining him. Regret washed over me like a tidal wave, drowning my will. My heart tightened, squeezed until it finally snapped. And then, I woke up. Summer had returned. ... I stood by Ming Xunzhou’s bed, the cicadas buzzing loudly outside the window. He woke up with a start, looking surprised to see me standing there. "Xia? Is something wrong?" My eyes snapped into focus. I was awake. In my past life, this was the day I kissed him and started the chain of events that led to disaster. This was a second chance. A chance to fix my mistakes. "Nothing," I said, forcing a smile. "I just heard you and Auntie Fang are getting married. I wanted to congratulate you!" Ming Xunzhou looked shocked, his gaze dropping to the marriage application in his hand. "Since you know... I wanted to talk to you. Xia, as long as you behave... as long as you stop saying things that aren't appropriate for your position here... everything will stay the same. This will always be your home." My breathing steadied. I kept the smile plastered on my face. "I'll be good. Don't worry." I didn't know it then, but a cold, malicious gaze was watching us from the window. Back in my room, I couldn't sleep. Just after midnight, someone pounded on the front door. "Brother Ming! Something's happened! It's Fang Yingyue!" Ming Xunzhou rushed to the hospital, and I followed close behind, panic rising in my chest. I had made different choices this time. Why was Fang Yingyue still in danger? In the hospital room, Fang Yingyue saw Ming Xunzhou and threw herself into his arms, barefoot and trembling. "Xunzhou, save me!" I let out a breath of relief when I saw she was physically fine, just a scrape on her hand. "Jiang Xia! I have no quarrel with you! How could you send those thugs to ruin me..." She buried her face in Ming Xunzhou's chest and sobbed. "What do you mean?" Ming Xunzhou asked, his voice tight. Tears streamed down her face. "What do you think I mean? Those thugs dragged me into the woods! They said you told them to rape me!" "Thank god the neighborhood watch patrol was nearby. They saved me." My mind went blank. Suddenly, it clicked. She was framing me. "I didn't do it!" I shouted, staring at Ming Xunzhou. I couldn't believe he would fall for this. But there was no trust in his eyes. Only coldness. "Where are they?" he asked her, his voice gentle, hugging her tighter. "They ran away... luckily, they didn't manage to do anything to me." Her sobs shook the room. "Xunzhou, I didn't want to make this hard for you. But you have to discipline her! Jiang Xia has been spoiled rotten. If this continues, she's going to end up in prison!" Ming Xunzhou exploded. "Apologize!" His shout made my scalp tingle. When I didn't speak, his face darkened. "Jiang Xia, your Auntie Fang is generous enough not to call the police. If you don't apologize today..." Before he could finish, I walked over to Fang Yingyue. I was planning to move out today anyway. To get far away from these two. An apology wouldn't kill me. I bowed deeply. "I'm sorry, Auntie Fang. I was wrong." Then, without looking back, I ran out of the room. At the door, Ming Xunzhou caught my arm. "Go home and stay there. Don't cause any more trouble! No matter what you think, I am marrying Yingyue. It's her or no one!" He turned and went back into the room. The door slammed shut, severing whatever bond was left between us. Chapter 2 The next day, I walked into Director Liu's office. "Director Liu, I'd like to apply for the spot at the Music Conservatory." Director Liu was surprised. Just two days ago, he had specifically talked to me, urging me to take this opportunity. I had turned him down, saying I had "family matters" to attend to. Everyone knew what that meant. My open pursuit of Ming Xunzhou was an open secret. "Family matters sorted?" he asked tactfully. "Sorted," I said without hesitation. "Permanently." He nodded and pulled a form from his desk. "Fill this out. Give it to me by tomorrow." "I'll do it now." I hunched over the desk and filled it out in minutes. When I handed it back, Director Liu looked at me with mixed emotions. He had served with my father. He'd watched me grow up. He valued my talent and didn't want to see me throw my life away on a hopeless romance. "Xia, when you get to Shanghai, focus on your studies. Don't chase after things that aren't real. You're young. You should see the world. There are so many possibilities out there." Tears welled up in my eyes. He had tried to tell me this so many times, and I had always brushed him off. This time, I really heard him. "I understand, Uncle Liu." "You have about ten days. Prepare well." I pressed my lips together. This time, I was going to live for myself. ... After training, I returned to the Ming house. As I pushed open the door, I saw Ming Xunzhou standing by the window. The first floor of our military compound housing had poor lighting, leaving his face half in shadow. "Uncle Ming, you're home." I tried to escape upstairs. "Come here." He beckoned, his voice heavy with authority. I braced myself and stood opposite him, keeping a deliberate two-meter distance. He pointed at a paper on the coffee table. "No matter what you think, the wedding is happening." "I understand." In this life, I wouldn't harbor any delusions about him. "Uncle Ming, rest assured. I've taken your words to heart." Seeing my obedience, he nodded, satisfied. "Good. I'll chalk this up to your age. If you sincerely repent, Yingyue will forgive you." "Go to the hospital tomorrow. Take care of her until she's discharged." I paused, but nodded. I needed to lay low. To hide myself until I could leave for good. I had a feeling Fang Yingyue was not someone to be trifled with. Survival was the priority. Once I got through these few days and left, everything would be fine. "Okay." I turned to go upstairs. "Remember," he called out just as my foot touched the first step. "Don't cause any more trouble." My pupils constricted as I stood with my back to him. "I know, Uncle Ming. I'll take good care of Auntie Fang." I replied calmly, keeping my eyes down. Standing by the window, Ming Xunzhou felt unsettled. Something was off. "Auntie Fang," "Uncle Ming." It gave him the creeps. When he had first introduced Fang Yingyue, he had forced me to call her "Auntie." Back then, I had exploded. "She's not my aunt! And you're not my uncle! You're barely older than me!" In the blink of an eye, he couldn't remember when I had stopped calling him by his name. "Good. That's a good girl." He couldn't put his finger on it, so he just watched me walk upstairs. Chapter 3 Early the next morning, I went to the hospital. With a heavy heart, I knocked on Fang Yingyue's door. But the bed was empty. I stopped a nurse. "Excuse me, where is the patient from this room?" Busy, she pointed upwards. "I think I saw her go upstairs." I thanked her and hurried up. But upstairs was the roof. Ming Xunzhou had entrusted her care to me. If she caught a cold up there, I'd be blamed again. I quickened my pace. I reached the roof and scanned the area. I saw her head popping up over the edge. "Fang..." Before I could shout, a man's voice drifted over. "Good thing I ran fast last night, or the patrol would have caught me. I'd be done for." "We agreed on a thousand yuan." I froze, gripping the doorframe. Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind me with a loud bang. Fang Yingyue frowned and looked over. When she saw it was me, panic flashed across her face. "You go first. We'll talk later." "Don't forget!" The man glanced at me, ducked his head, and disappeared down the other stairwell. I stumbled as I tried to recover from the noise. "What did you hear?" Fang Yingyue advanced on me. I forced a smile, my eyelashes trembling. I couldn't understand how Ming Xunzhou could love a woman like this. I laughed bitterly. "You'll do anything, won't you? Why does Uncle Ming want to marry you?!" She grabbed my hair and dragged me to the edge of the roof. "Angry?" "You little vixen! You've been around him for years, and has he ever looked at you like a woman? He only loves me. He's marrying me." I shouted back. "Aren't you afraid I'll tell him?" But doubt crept in. Even if I told him, what would it prove? That she was bad? Would it separate them? "Go ahead. Tell him. See who he believes." She smiled confidently. She was right... My heart ached. Ming Xunzhou only believed her. He wouldn't believe a word I said. While I was distracted, she grabbed my neck and tried to push me over the edge. "Jiang Xia, you're in the way! As long as you're here, Ming Xunzhou and I can't have a normal life. You need to leave." She squeezed, and I screamed. I struggled with everything I had. I didn't want to die again! I was young. I had so much to do. Suddenly, the pressure on my neck released. She let go. I stumbled back. To my horror, Fang Yingyue stepped onto the ledge herself. Four stories up. Tears streamed down her face instantly. She screamed at the people below. "Xia, please! I don't want to die!" "I want to get married! I want to have babies..." She glanced back at me, a smirk playing on her lips. I shuddered. I understood. I rushed to the edge and looked down. Ming Xunzhou was staring up at me, his face twisted in fury. He pointed a finger at me, then shot into the building like an arrow, racing up the stairs. Chapter 4 Slap! Ming Xunzhou burst onto the roof and slapped me without a word. I held my burning cheek, my mind blank. "Jiang Xia! How can you be so vicious at such a young age?!" He roared. I was stunned. In all our years together, I had never seen him this angry. Even in my past life, after Fang Yingyue died, he hadn't been this enraged. I didn't cry. I held back the tears. I was leaving. I didn't want complications. Once I was gone, everything would be peaceful. "No, not just vicious. Shameless. You pester me, confess to me, and now that I'm marrying Yingyue, you try to kill her over and over again!" He raised his hand to strike me again. But Fang Yingyue threw herself at him, hugging his waist. "Xunzhou, maybe she didn't mean it. Don't be mad, okay? You raised her. You shouldn't doubt her character." Ming Xunzhou's eyes were bloodshot, his voice cold as ice. "You're too kind. Yesterday she tried to ruin your reputation, today she tries to push you off a roof. How long will you defend her?" "I just..." Her eyes fluttered. "I don't want to make things hard for you. We have to live together after we're married." He held her tight, his heart aching for her. "What nonsense! I'm not marrying you so you can suffer in my house!" "Don't worry. I'll discipline her!" He vowed. I watched him silently. She was right. He only believed her. To him, she was everything. Seeing me staring at him only made him angrier. Fang Yingyue bit her lip and burst into tears. "Maybe... maybe you two should be together. I shouldn't ruin your relationship." "Xunzhou, let's just forget it." She pushed him away. "No!" He hugged her fiercely. "Yingyue, what are you saying? We're getting married in a few days. She's the child I raised! How could there be anything between us?!" He turned and grabbed my wrist. "Jiang Xia, one last chance. If you hurt Yingyue again, get out. Never step foot in my house again!" I trembled. "Do you hear me?!" He shouted. "Okay." I collapsed to the floor. He was convinced I wanted to hurt her. I couldn't explain. If I just avoided her for the next few days, I could survive this. I clenched my fist, nails digging into my palm. Ming Xunzhou, I really don't dare to love you anymore. That night, he sat me down for a long talk. Seeing my swollen face, he handed me a boiled egg. "Use this. Let it be a lesson." I frowned. "No need. It's fine." "Don't be spiteful." It sounded like comfort, but it was a warning. "You lock yourself in your room to force me to come talk to you. You use my sympathy against me. You're pushing me." His voice grew colder. I shook my head. In my past life, I would have done anything for his attention. Starving myself, running away. But not this time. I swore I wouldn't interfere with his happiness. As long as we were all alive, nothing else mattered. Besides, after that slap, why would I want his attention? "Uncle Ming, I'm happier than anyone that you're marrying the woman you love! Don't worry, I've accepted reality. I won't pester you again."
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